Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22
Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22 are the two longest non-stop flights in the world, since their relaunch on 11 October 2018 using the Airbus A350-900ULR. In June 2004, Singapore Airlines introduced SQ21 that goes to Newark, passing through several countries and even the North Pole. Flight Original service The plane originally used for the Singapore–Newark route was an Airbus A340-500. It had 14 cabin crew and six flight deck officers, each working four-hour shifts. The flight required 222,000 litres of fuel, ten times the weight of the passengers. Critics said that while there would be reduced noise pollution due to a stop not being required, the non-stop flight would save little fuel due to the need to use more energy at the beginning of the flight to power its heavy load. The airline said that this route would save four hours off a one-stop service. However, medical experts expressed concerns regarding the 18-hour flight, in which passengers would breathe recycled air with a greater chance of picking up viral infections such as flu and colds on board. Furthermore, the heart and lungs would come under increased strain from a lower than usual supply of oxygen, with an enhanced risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) among people who fail to exercise frequently on board. The airline had installed special lockers on the aircraft to store the corpses of any passengers that died en route, since the flight's routing over the Pacific Ocean and the North Pole meant that there were few, if any, possible unscheduled stops. Singapore Airlines originally offered 64 business class and 117 Executive Economy Class seats on this flight. SIA phased out the Executive Economy Class in favor of 100-seat all-Business Class flights in 2008. 2013 suspension In October 2012, Singapore Airlines announced that it would discontinue non-stop service to both Newark and Los Angeles in 2013. Revenue was no longer high enough to sustain the service and the routes were dropped in November 2013. As part of a deal announced with Airbus, the airline would sell back its five Airbus A340-500 aircraft to the aircraft manufacturer while ordering 5 extra Airbus A380 and another 20 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. The airline continued serving Los Angeles via Tokyo Narita as it had during the period with the non-stop flights. It continues to serve New York via the nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport, with a stop at Frankfurt Airport. Relaunch On 13 October 2015, Singapore Airlines announced that it had signed an agreement with Airbus to be the launch customer of a new version of the Airbus A350 XWB called the A350-900ULR (for "Ultra Long Range"), which according to the announcement would feature "all-new cabin products which are currently under development." The relaunched flights commenced on 11 October 2018, with daily flights starting from 18 October, 2018. The airline intends to use the new planes to commence non-stop service from Singapore to Newark as a service resumption, as well as possibly commence service to Chicago, Toronto, or Vancouver. Singapore Airlines will resume non-stop service to Los Angeles, along with Star Alliance partner United Airlines operating on the same route. Singapore Airlines also operates non-stop to San Francisco. On 23 October 2016, Singapore Airlines started a non-stop flight to San Francisco using their standard Airbus A350-900. This flight was the third of three non-stop flights from Singapore to North America at the time, the others being United Airlines flights, from Singapore to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. On 30 May 2018, Singapore Airlines announced the relaunch of the service starting 11 October 2018 (Singapore departure), using the Airbus A350-900ULR, in a 161-seat configuration (67 Business and 94 Premium Economy seats). This is a modified version of the standard Airbus A350-900, with fuel capacity increased from 141,000 liters to 165,000 liters (37,000 US gal to 44,000 US gal), and with a maximum range of 9,700 nmi (18,000 km). The A350-900ULR is expected to consume 25% less fuel versus the A340-500. The re-launched flight to Newark operates as a red-eye flight, with a morning departure from Singapore. The airline finally received the aircraft on September 26 and relaunched the flight on 11 October 2018. These flights are typically staffed with four pilots and 13 flight attendants. The details of the first re-launched Singapore Airlines Flights 22 and 21 were as follows: